The method reproduces photographs or textual content utilizing solely shades of grey, starting from black to white. As an alternative of using shade inks, this system depends solely on various ranges of black ink or toner to create totally different tones. A standard instance is photocopying a shade doc, which generally ends in a monochromatic illustration utilizing varied shades of grey.
This methodology is essential for decreasing printing prices, particularly when shade is pointless. It additionally gives benefits in conditions the place shade constancy shouldn’t be important, or when printing paperwork supposed for archival functions, as monochrome prints are typically extra secure over time. Traditionally, this system predates widespread shade printing, enjoying a major function in early images and doc copy.